


Jungle Fever

by RandomJaz



Category: Harvest Moon, Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness, Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-09
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2018-04-30 21:06:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5179670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomJaz/pseuds/RandomJaz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>CHAPTER 4 REVISE. Lost in the unforgiving evening jungle, Chelsea desperately seeks to find her way out but ends ups being aggressively pursued.  Unable to escape she is  taken to a local inhabitant's hut, the encounter following her in to and  interfering with her daily life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Originally intending to take a day trip to the jungle to forage, Chelsea wound up getting lost during the oncoming sunset. Scared and in unfamiliar surroundings she found herself slowly beginning to panic. Images of large dangerous predators intruded her thoughts whilst she attempted to navigate back to the jungle entrance bridge.

Overwhelmed she convincing herself the possibility of danger was simply a harsh paranoia, but little did she know a pair of eyes watched her every move from the looming trees. Hastening her pace she walked briskly, picking up speed as the sky darkened. A sudden flash of movement passed in her peripheral vision followed by a heavy thud of weight hitting the ground and she bolted in to a full panicked sprint.

The distinct sound of feet pounding the ground with enormous strength reached Chelsea's ears as she desperately willed her legs to carry her farther in to the dense evening jungle. Adrenaline laced blood rushing through her ears deafened her to the sound of her own thoughts, focusing solely on the approaching threat. Leaves and twigs snapping under her shoes she frantically ran through shrubs, ducking thorny vines.

Taking a sharp turns around trees she attempted to lose her pursuer. Heavy almost animalistic breathing filled the surrounding air as the oncoming threat seemingly lost their footing on the large protruding root. Skin set aflame in fear upon hearing the pursuing danger pick up speed, tears began leaking from her eyes as she began envisioning her inevitable capture.

No longer concerned with dodging miniule shrubs, thorny vines and switches scraped and scratched her soft downy skin as she ran, red droplets slowly oozing from the tender wounds on her face, chest, legs and arms. The blood swirling downwards across the alabaster canvas that was her flesh, it drying against the wind like fresh paint.

She briefly accepted her oncoming death then began to mentally pray for relief but blindly ran in to a low hanging protruding branch. The branch hit her square in the chest, effectively knocking the wind out of her before snapping back and flinging her backwards.

The perimeter of her vision blackened from the drastic drop in adrenaline as she lay there disoriented and dizzy. The night sky's stars shimmered down on here calmingly, almost surreal in Chelsea's altered state. Ears barely registered the sound of leaves rustling near her. Convinced she was going to die, she shut her eyes readying herself for the harsh pain of fangs tearing through her, only to be surprised as a tall shadow was cast over her. Something touched her... they were...fingers?

Dry cracked padded fingertips glided over the skin of her face and she opened her eyes to find an extremely large built man kneeling beside her. His fingertips traced the hollow of her cheekbone, wandering up to the curve of her throbbing temples. As she lost consciousness she felt herself being lifted from the ground and pulled in to a comfortable warmth.

The large man wordlessly held her unconscious form to his broad chest, carrying her off in to the deep dark jungle. Navigating on foot he made his way to a hut built high off the ground. Tossing the petite brunette over his shoulder he climbed up to the hut and entered the small living space. Chelsea's body was limp and lifeless as she slept in her exhaustion induced coma-like state. Setting her down upon a bed of warm furs the jungle man began searching for something amongst his belongings.

Not more than a couple hours later Chelsea awoke to the passing of the midnight hour. The hut was lit by a small fire set in a clay bowl filled with dried grass and sticks, the flame's shadows dancing across the walls. She registered the feeling of soft fur under her palms as she sat up in to a sitting position, becoming startled as a hand reached out and held her bicep. Chelsea whipped her head to the side and lost the ability to produce sound upon realizing whom she was in the presence of.

The large man knelt by her once more, looking down at her. Soft flesh held in his fist, he squeezed lightly. Looking over her, his eyes took on a mildly fascinated stare as he inspected her. Fingers released her arm and began trailing the bloody streaks across her face, moving downwards to her throat, collar bone and eventually cleavage. Too scared to move she unknowingly held her breath as she waited to see what he would do, unknowing if he was savage or not she still feared for her safety. He pulled his hand back and simply stared at her. Moments of silence passed as they held eye contact.

"Shea." his voice broke the silence, deep and firm.

Chelsea thought she had imagined it and made a noise of confusion. Eyes fixed on her expectantly he spoke once more.

"Shea. Me Shea."

Blinking she looked at him in amazement, nearly forgetting to respond.

"I-I...I'm Chelsea" she stammered, still unsure if in any danger.

Shea stared at her face before looking down at her chest. Reaching out he tugged at the hem of her shirt trying to remove it. She resisted what he was doing and panicked in fear of what he would do to her. Shea's face remained impassive as he assertively pulled the shirt from her body, leaving her upper torso bare. He turned and retrieved a bowl with water and cloth in it, showing it to Chelsea.

"Clean wounds." Shea explained.

Chelsea tried to cover her chest but Shea pried her arms away, then pulled the cloth from the bowl of water and wrung it slightly. He pressed the soaked cloth against her ample bosom then started washing away the dried blood and dirt from her tender skin with a surprisingly gentle touch. A large smear would not wipe away so Shea dipped the cloth in the bowl once more but did not wring it out. The sopping wet cloth was pressed to her cleavage causing to Chelsea gasped at the contact. The water he washed her with was a bit chilled from the evening air and dripped down the swells and valley of her breasts. Drops of water streaming down to her nipples, she felt extremely exposed.

Chelsea's nipples hardened as a passing draft feathered over the wet pink mounts and she struggled to keep the oncoming blush from consuming the entirety of her face. Seeming not to notice, Shea calmly continued washing her. He washed her shins and knees then brought the cloth to her face, wiping in steady circles he washed away all the smudged dried residue from her. Once finished Shea set the materials aside and leaned very closely to Chelsea's face. Timidly she leaned away as he invaded her personal space further.

Chelsea's hand slipped from under her and she fell backwards on to the nest of furs she was sitting on. The make-shift bed luxuriously soft against the skin of her bare back. Shea slowly crawled on top of her, staring down at her with sharp focused eyes. Chelsea curiously glanced down from his bare chest and blushed when seeing all he wore beneath the waist was a simple loin cloth... that was tented suspicously.

Having such a large man towering over her was absolutely terrifying. Though massive in stature, the jungle man showed no signs of violent intention. If anything he just looked curious. What did intimidate Chelsea though was the jungle man's very clear arousal and the enormous strength he clearly possessed. Bringing her eyes up to meet his she felt her blood run cold. Leaning over, his body separated her from the light of the hut's small fire. Torso casting a wide shadow across the delicate pale skin of her exposed upper body, Shea loomed over her and Chelsea tried shrinking in to herself reflexively. Her muscles ached and she briefly wondered how she would escape.

Expecting the worst as Shea's body began closing in on her Chelsea held her breath while praying that Shea would not do what she feared was about to happen. Bracing herself to strike the instant he made his move, she waited...but nothing. Shea simply stared at her curiously, blinking his almond shaped eyes slowly. Shifting her own eyes nervously she leaned up on her elbows, all to aware of the way her breasts protruded from her chest. She crawled back slightly, wincing as she moved her thigh.

Shea responded by inching closer. Immensely frightened she frantically crawled back further, squeaking as she felt large dry hands take hold of her thigh. So much for fighting back. Glancing down she noticed a large tear in her jeans, the edges marred with blood.

"This very strange." he commented, rubbing the material of her denim jeans under his palms.

"E-Excuse me?" She asked, completely taken back.

Shea patted her jean clad thighs affirmatively to make his point.

"This. What this?"

It dawned on Chelsea that Shea was talking about her pants. Of course he thought they were strange, he was wearing a damn loincloth.

"Well um, these are clothes. " Chelsea explained, gesturing to his loincloth. "Like that...sorta."

He nodded in understanding before trying to figure out to remove them. He tugged on the edges of her pant legs but Chelsea pushed him away with her uninjured leg. He tried once more to grab it but Chelsea struggled against him. Shea swiftly caught her leg and held it still, frown creasing his lips.

"More cuts." he insisted, pointing at her bloody thigh. "Need clean. If no clean cut get dirty and no heal. Pain long time."

Chelsea ceased her struggling and attempted to rolled the cuff of her pants up to her thigh but they were far too tight and stopped below her knee. Figuring that she had no other option, she reluctantly unbuttoned her jeans and tried to wiggle them off but winced as the material dragged across her open cut. Shea took over and managed to maneuver them off her more smoothly. Grabbing the bowl and cloth from before, he kneeled between her legs and dipped the cloth in water. Excess water was wrung out directly on to her cut.

"Ow! Hey!"

Shea said nothing and began wiping away the top layer of dried blood around the edges of her wounds. The cut itself wasn't life threatening but clearly needed first aid. Wetting the cloth once more he placed it directly over the wound where the broken skin still bled slightly and Chelsea's leg jutted up as she voiced her discomfort more aggressively. Shea reacted immediately, pushing forward with his body weight to still her... problem was his bulge pressed in to her as well.

Of course she freaked out.

"No!" She yelped, trying to push him away again. "Oh Goddess no-"

Unfortunately for her Shea was solid. He looked at her confused as to why she was suddenly so afraid. Chelsea lay there in only her simple white panties, panicking and extremely exposed. The wild man although physically aroused, was unphased by her nudity. His evident erection was simply a natural bodily response, one he actually didn't understand. Before he could figure out why Chelsea was so upset a creaking sound caught their attention.

Shea automatically recognized the sound as someone climbing the ladder. Rustling of leaves could be heard and a male figured emerged in the doorway. An average height slender old man with dark skin and wild straight course hair had climbed up the ladder to the hut. He entered carrying a long spear and basket of fish, chewing a piece of wild grass. His large nose red from years of sun exposure crinkled in confusion as he slid his eyes over to Chelsea who covered her pale chest, arms tightly wrapped around herself. Shea simply turned and greeted the man.

"Hello Wada." he said, nonchalantly. "Bring food? Hungry."

Wada nodded once and grunted as he placed the basket of freshly caught fish down. Walking over to where Shea and Chelsea were he stood over them, tapping the blunt end of his spear against Chelsea's leg softly. The wooden material inches away from her attended wound.

"What happen? Who this?" he questioned, chewing his grass idly.

"See her outside. Look sort of different so I follow. " Shea replied. " She run, hit branches. Then fall. Has cuts. Take here to help."

Wada nodded and looked back at Chelsea, tapping his chest with a firm hand.

"Wada." he introduced himself simply. "You?"

Chelsea shook with anxiety but told him her name. The elder grunted in approval. Shifting a curious glance towards the younger man he nodded his head down in the direction of Chelsea.

"This mate?" he questioned simply.

"Mate?" Shea asked.

"She woman." Wada stated matter a factly. "Woman good, woman make baby."

"WHAT!?"


	2. Chapter 2

"What!?"

Wada turned slowly and looked down at Chelsea as if confused regarding her discomfort

She laid there still trying to conceal her breasts while in her underwear, still not a hundred percent certain about where she was and what was going on. The two jungle men seemed unphased by her nudity and clearly didn't understand that babies were not something you just have all willy nilly...well at least not in her society.

"I'm not h-having anyone's baby! Are you cra-" she argued but was interrupted by Shea.

"Wada, how baby made? Know woman make baby... but not know how."

Wada said nothing at first but then took the blunt end of his spear and tapped Chelsea between the legs before she realized what was happening.

"Baby come from there." he stated simply.

Chelsea freaked out as he tapped her panty clad vagina but he pulled his spear away calmly. Shea cocked his head down to see what Wada was talking about. Attempting to get a closer look he reached for her thighs and pulled her to him until her legs were spread open and held up with her rear lifted off the ground. He tried reaching for her underwear but Chelsea was having none of it.

Shea struggled to keep her still but it was of no use... still he tried. A swift swat fell upon Shea's right temple and he winced. Wada had stuck him with the spear. Shea dropped Chelsea's legs promptly.

"You no handle woman like that." he scolded. "You ask."

"Ask what?" Shea questioned, confused.

"To make baby!"

Blanching and completely uncomfortable, Chelsea butt in. Wide eyed and nervous she was adamant she was not going to bare any one's child any time soon.

"I can't just have a baby!" She insisted. "That is not possible!"

Wada blinked, seeming disgruntled. He prodded her exposed belly gently and spoke to her as trying to teach a child. So simple and easy as if Chelsea had no concept of how babies were made.

"Woman have baby. Grow here" he explained, prodding her stomach. "Then come out there-"

He proceeded to move towards the apex of her legs and Chelsea put a hand on her crotch to keep the elder from prodding anymore. Many boundaries were crossed, far too many. To them it all seemed to normal and casual, nothing out of the ordinary at all.

"I KNOW WHERE THEY COME FROM."

" You have baby then. " The elder grunted.

If Chelsea wasn't so uncomfortable she probably would have facepalmed. Shea, as curious as ever with Chelsea's anatomy, piped up with another curiosity. One that could have knocked Chelsea right over had she been standing.

"Wada, how make baby?"

Chelsea lay there in complete discomfort as Wada proceeded to explain to Shea, in broken English, how babies were conceived. The unusualness of it all was overwhelming. A grown man, a wild man with an erection none the less, didn't know what sex was. After observing their exchange it became clear to Chelsea that Shea hadn't been around too many females. It was very likely Shea spent most of his time with Wada.

Upon being told to "Put inside woman", Shea could not understand for the life of his what Wada was talking about. Deciding she didn't wanna be around when he found out, she tried to get up. Pulling away from Shea who was still kneeling on the floor, she planned on reaching for her jeans but pain shot up her thigh and she made a noise of distress. Both men were now looking at her in disapproval.

"You no move." Shea scolded. "Leg hurt. Stay there."

"I have to go home though, I can't stay here! Please, I have to go-"

The elder, Wada, was not enthused with Chelsea's insistence that she leave the hut. He eyed her sternly and shook his head gravely. Spear pointed at Chelsea, he gave a warning.

"You stay until leg better. Leave jungle like that you die." Wada warned her. "Danger at ."

"But-"

"My jungle, you obey." He ordered firmly. "Protect you here."

Deciding that leaving was in fact a terrible idea, she agreed to stay. Being that she was still starting out, Chelsea had no livestock to care for. Thankful that she had yet to plant to her rotation of crops, she had no farm chores to worry about while she was gone... but surely people would notice her missing. Convincing herself it was best not to stress about it, she let it go for the time being. After all, there wasn't anything she could do. What was the point harping on it? She wasn't in any danger it seemed.

Wada nodded in approval to Chelsea's obedience and wandered off to the opposite side of the shack in search of something. He emerged with multiple sticks and picked up the basket of fish he had caught when coming in minutes earlier. Sitting down on the ground, he began scaling the fish in preparation for dinner. Chelsea shivered as the hut became colder, the nighttime breeze sweeping in. Being naked wasn't all it was hyped up to be.

"Shea." the elder spoke up, "Go get leaves. Fire die soon. Woman cold."

The young man did as he was told, picked up a sharpened weapon and quickly left to fill the request. Chelsea watched him go, then her attention was drawn to Wada who spoke up.

"Fur warm." Wada mentioned, nodding towards the layers of pelts she sat on. "Use."

Chelsea, cold from her exposure, wrapped a nearby fur around herself. The soft pelt rested under her armpits like a towel and fell to her thighs. The thought of an animal dying for the sake of the pelt bothered her, but the warmth and modesty it offered outweighed her discomfort with it. Saying nothing, she remained quiet watching Wada prepare the fish.

He didn't look up at Chelsea as he spoke, focused on what he was doing. Which Chelsea was just fine with, she'd rather not be looked at so much while indecent. Especially by a man. But it seemed she wouldn't be escaping that discomfort too soon.

" Where you come from? Town? Many people there, dressed different."

"Yes, I live in the town. You two been there?" she asked, sincerely curious.

Wada shook his head, skewering a fish. He set it aside and began another, scaling the bounty and wiping his knife as it accumulated gunk. Shiny bits of gunk that were the fish's scale. It looked horribly disgusting how anyone scaled a fish but the primal way Wada did it was more unsettling.

"I see town." he confirmed, taping the knife to shake off some excess. "Shea no see town. He no leave here since baby. He not know that place."

Intrigued, Chelsea listened intently. Wada explained how Shea was born when the previous settlers of the island were around. Years after they set up a town, Wada had been up in a tree searching for fruit when a very young woman dressed in loose clothing had come to the jungle. A large, flowy dress with enough frabric to conceal her shape. Jackets and such to assist hiding her pregnancy.

She had undressed and gave birth by the river, her stomach very small compared to what was normal for a pregnancy. The child wailed and cried with it's first breath of air. The mother severed the umbilical cord with a rock and left the baby on the riverbank. After washing and redressing she left... leaving the infant behind. The little boy wailed still, rested in the mud and covered in his amniotic fluid.. No heavier or bigger than a bunch of bananas, he was very small.

According to Wada, he knew immediately what had happened. Having no doubts she was leaving the child for dead, he took him. He washed Shea in the river before wrapping him in cloth. He stayed by the river, leaving Shea to rest as he gathered food. He ate and resttled by the riverbank with Shea. Later that day the mpther had come back and was shocked to see a grown man cradling her baby.

"I hold Shea very close to me. He small but I know he strong. He cry loud, he strong boy." Wada explained. "Not happy with woman, get angry when see her but she give Shea milk. Shea hungry, let Shea have milk. Woman bring milk until Shea no need. Never come back. "

"Where did Shea's mother go?" Chelsea asked, her heart swelling with compassion for the elder who saved an abandoned child with such compassion. "Do you know?"

"People go long time ago. Old town leave. You first person see in very long time. You first person Shea see. "

Amazed, she let the information sink in. These two had lived in the jungle for years prior to her town's arrival which explained the empty buildings and large expanse of cleared land. People had surely lived there before, Chelsea had been positive of it when seeing all the old buildings and broken down shacks.

"Shea need mate... how you say? Wife." he corrected himself. "Shea need wife. Need family. Need to mate."

"I'm sorry but I can't be Shea's mate!"

"Why?"

Shea had returned with the dry leaves for the fire, walking in on Chelsea's last statement. Putting the leaves down he showed her the sharpened rock he brought with him outside, holding it out to her he puffed his chest proudly to impress her.

"It doesn't work like that-"

"I good mate. I make this. Can protect Chelsea. Never go hungry." he turned to Wada, looking for confirmation. "Right, I make good mate Wada?"

"Right. Good mate. Shea make good mate."

Chelsea really didn't think there was any way to get it through to them that she couldn't just stay here in the jungle to have kids with Shea and live his Tarzan kind of lifestyle. They really were persistent though, insisting Chelsea be Shea's mate.

"I cook food." Shea insisted to Wada. "Show Chelsea."

Wada allowed Shea to cook the fish over the flame, nodding approvingly while doing so. The first skewered fish was cooked which Shea offered Chelsea right away. Hungry, she accepted it while blowing on it warily. Shea watched with anticipation while waiting for her to take a bite. When she did, Chelsea smiled politely as to not hurt his feelings. The fish was very plain of course, no oil or seasoning. Just broiled. She had tasted better fish before, that was for certain.

"Thank you, Shea." She said anyways, showing her gratitude. "It's erm- it's good."

He beamed and continued to cook the rest of the food. Shea and Wada ate with Chelsea who refused to let the pelt around her drop an inch. Wada offered Chelsea a second skewer which she declined as nicely as she could. But, unfortunately for her, the elder insisted.

"Thin. Take. Need be stronger"

Eating the fish slowly, she did her best not to focus on the way Shea was suddenly so interested in her. As well as the elder's .


	3. Chapter 3

After eating, Chelsea sat along a wall of the hut with the pelt of fur still wrapped around herself tightly. Fatigue was becoming very strong within her and she wanted to sleep very badly. Unsure of how to go about it, she forced herself to remain awake. Watching as Shea and Wada added more debris to the fire, she focused on holding the animal pelt around herself. The hut wasn't getting any warmer and she really missed her pajamas and bed.

Struggling to keep her wits about her, the sounds of the jungle did little to help. Bugs chirped in the distance, lulling her to sleep without her realizing. Her eyelids slid closed and she drifted off without another conscious thought. When she woke, she didn't feel the textured wall of the hut against her back but soft fur on her breasts and face. Somehow she'd ended up being laid down on the pile of fur pelts, with the one from earlier draped along her back like a blanket.

Lifting herself up, she allowed the pelt to fall as she kneeled in just her underwear. The hut was dark cept for the fire which lit the small area, the fire having died down. Chelsea could hear very heavy snoring coming from the otherside of the living space, where Wada was gone to the world as he snoozed in a hammock with what looked to be a coconut with a face painted on it clutched to his chest. The sight was almost amusing... 'almost' being the key word.

"Chelsea awake."

Chelsea clasped her hands over her breasts as Shea's voice came through the still air. Turning her head, she saw him sitting down along the wall she fell asleep on previously with his legs crossed and spear in hand. He blinked calmly, pointing to her place on the furs with the spear.

"Comfortable?"

"Oh um... kind of." Chelsea answered him.

Shea tilted his head, confused.

"Kind of?" He questioned, not understanding. "What mean?"

"The fur is nice."

Shea nodded, happy with her answer. Chelsea reached down for a fur pelt to cover herself again and shifted uncomfortably as Shea continued to watch her. Trying to keep her calm, she settled back in to the furs hoping to catch up with her sleep. Unfortunately, she was too uncomfortable. Between the cold and the general situation, it was nearly impossible to fall asleep again.

"Shea?" Chelsea asked. Careful to not wake Wada and his ...friend. "Where are my clothes?"

Shea piped up, gesturing to a corner in the shack. There lay her scuffed and torn clothing from her earlier encounter with the jungle. Careful to keep her modesty, she stood up and tiptoed to retrieve her clothing. She picked up her clothes, wincing as she placed pressure on the wound of her thigh, and tried keeping the fur pelts over her shoulders as she attempted to put her shorts back on.

Of course it didn't work, but she still tried, The fur pelt slipped off her and on to the floor as she tried maneuvering her injured leg in to her jeans. Nearly toppling over, she panicked as she was left without any modesty. She tried again to get her jeans on but failed. Hearing Shea get up, she hurriedly tried again.

Large warm palms touched her shoulders and she stiffened as heat from a chiseled chest radiated on to her.

"Shea help. No fall."

Grateful for his help, she got her jeans on. Getting her shirt on was an easier task. Once dressed, her anxiety depleted to a manageable level. Turning around, she faced Shea who stood there and looked down at her. His eyes never wavered as he stared, blinking with intrigue. Shaking him out of the fog, Chelsea asked him a question.

"How long until sunrise, Shea? I have to go home."

Shea looked sad, his eyebrows knotting, but answered her question.

"Sunrise very soon. Sky light up."

"I need you to take me home." Chelsea explained slowly, pointing to the outside world beyond the hut. "Home. Take me home. "

Glancing over at Wada's sleeping form, Shea stayed silent for a moment. He looked between Chelsea and his 'father' and breathed a heavy sigh. Nodding, he consented to her request but not without voicing a lingering concern.

"Shea bring home, but Chelsea come back?"

Debating her answer Chelsea struggled to respond. She didn't want to lie, or hurt his feelings. Of course when she went back to forage she could always stop by to say hello...not that a trip to the jungle would be in her agenda anytime soon. Assuring him that she would come back, she nodded. Shea looked at Wada once more and motioned for Chelsea to leave the hut. Wada snored, muttering in his sleep with the coconut in his hands as they made their escape.

Shea pointed to the dark sky, which began to light up just the slightest bit.

"See? Sun rise soon. Morning come."

"Very nice." Chelsea stated, getting ready to descend the ladder down from the hut and wincing from her thigh. "Now let's go. Come on. "

Shea was very protective of Chelsea as he guided her through the jungle. Gradually night time made it's leave as morning began to make itself known. The sky had turned an orange blue as they navigated through the shrubbery. Soon enough the bridge back to town came in to view and Chelsea couldn't have been happier to be back. She would have booked it towards the bridge had Shea not held her back by the hand.

"Chelsea come back." he repeated to her, staring at her seriously as if they'd struck a deal for her early departure. "Chelsea come and see Shea."

"I'll come back." she promised.

"Chelsea come back later."

It dawned on Chelsea how awkward it was, the situation she was in. Shea expected her to come back today and that's not what she had planned at all. But to appease him, she promised to do so. Letting her go, Shea smiled and waved her off as she exited the jungle. Excited to see his new friend again soon.

The town was still inactive, most likely everyone was still sleeping as she made her way to her farm. Thankfully it was still that early otherwise others would ask about her appearance. Hopefully no one had been looking for her last night. Then she'd have some explaining to do, and she liked keeping to herself for the most part. Excluding the very few she was regularly friendly with, she didn't talk to the townspeople much.

Her farm was the way she left it when she came back. The first thing she did was go to her home and check the time. According to her grandfather clock, it was past three in the morning. Deciding she would have a late start to her work, she took a shower, washed her wounds and took a nap. When she woke up it was nearly eight in the morning and she put on a fresh set of work clothes to start her day.

Having no livestock to care for, and no crops to speak of, there weren't any farm chores to jump on immediately. A lack of crops was an issue that had to be addressed, however. It was as a good a time as any to plant the rotation of crops. A trip to Chen's store was decided upon and Chelsea made her way over.

No one saw her approaching the shop but when she entered Chen was rummaging behind the counter. The doorbell to his shop jingled as she entered, alerting Chen to the arrival of a customer. Peering over the countertop, he investigated curiously and saw Chelsea.

"Hey, Chen. It's that special time again."

Knowing the drill, Chen pulled out a box with the seeds he had available to sell for the newly arrived summer. Regardless of her enormous fatigue from her night with the jungle men, she still had to buy the appropriate amount of seeds for her large tilled field.

Corn, onion, pumpkin and tomato seeds were available for purchase and she decided on three of each. Pulling her money from her rucksack, Chelsea began counting out what she owed when Chen's young son, Charlie, emerged from the back room. He looked to Chelsea with Concern, touching his face.

"Miss Chelsea, what happened to your face?"

"Shush, Charlie. That's rude." Chen scolded his son gently. "Miss Chelsea works on a farm, cuts and scrapes are expected. "

Touching her face, Chelsea was reminded of her reckless run through the jungle as she feared for her life. Of course she had washed her face when getting home, but fine raised lines and scuffs were scattered along her face. Along her forehead, cheekbone, chin and neck, faint evidence of injury resided.

"Oh, I'm okay Charlie." Chelsea told the child, handing Chen the money. "Your Dad is right, just got a little scraped up... harvesting the Spring crops was doozy. Heh. I fell a lot and stuff."

Charlie pondered the answer and left to play outside as suggested by his father. Giving Chen a dazzling smile, she took her seeds and left. Beyond happy her fields were still tilled from spring crops, she set to work planting the new ones. Once done, she was nearing dizzy and really wished she didn't have to water them but set out to do so.

"Hey Chels."

A dark skinned man sauntered up on to her farm when she hadn't been paying attention and waved happily, fishing rod over his shoulder. The young man's purple bandana stood out sharply against his tanned skin and bright white smile. He eyed the field Chelsea was watering and remarked on how large it was, very impressed. Thanking him, she asked what it was he was up to.

"Thanks, Denny. What brings you here?"

"I swung by to see if you wanted to catch up on your fishing today. It's high tide."

"As great as that sounds, I have to finish this and I'm already tired as all heck, Dude. Maybe another time."

Denny frowned in disappointment but persisted.

"Aww come on... what if I help you? Would you come along then?"

"Sure... I mean it'd be a big help, actually."

And with that Denny told Chelsea to take a break on the grass as he finished watering the remainder of the field. Normally having someone help her with the chores would make her feel guilty or lazy, but in that instance she couldn't have gotten the chore done any other way. Denny finished remarkably fast and set her watering can down by her feet where she lay on the grass.

"Don't get too comfortable, we had a deal." he joked, nudging her work boot with his shoe. "Come on, let me help you up. We've got places to be and things to do! "

"Alright, alright. Let's go."

xxxxxxxx

The beach was vacant as they settled on the pier. Casting their rods, they waited for bites and chattered back and forth. A huge snag pulled on her line and she stood up to reel it in but struggled. Before Denny could stand up to assist her, she was pulled in to the ocean. Normally that wouldn't be an issue, except for Chelsea's large cut under her shorts.

She hit the water and wailed in pain as salt water seeped through her pants. Denny had no idea what was wrong and freaked out... which was a natural response.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?! Did something bite you!?"

'Leave it to Denny to think there was a damn piranha or something. ' Chelsea thought irritably as she tried to keep her anger at bay from the stinging on her skin.

"N-No, nothing bit me. I have a little ...cut... on my leg. Hurts like you wouldn't believe in this water." Chelsea explained to Denny as she waded her way back to the shore with her pole in hand. "Oh goddess owwwww."

Denny calmed down and watched her as she made her way through the water from his place on the pier.

"Well salt water is the best thing for it, believe it or not. It'll clean and heal that cut right up. Everything happens for a reason, am I right?"

"I suppose you're right."

Her fishing pole line broke and as a result of that she was missing her fishing hook. Groaning, Chelsea shook her head. Luck was not on her side lately, it seemed.

"Of course, ugh. It's all messed up. I gotta restring it and get a new hook. " she complained, aggravated, "Now I gotta go home and get one."

"Nah, I got you covered. Come one, I have extra supplies in my shack."

Denny sat at his small table, fixing the fishing pole as Chelsea stood in his tiny bathroom wringing out her hair and clothes in the sink. Her cut burned intensely and she looked like a complete mess from her dive in the sea. On top of being exhausted, she was embarrassed. Sure Denny was her friend but she didn't particularly like looking like crap in front of him. Or anyone else for that matter.

"Hey Chels?" Denny called out to her from the next room.

"Yeah Denny?" she answered back. "What is it?"

"You okay in there? Your rod is fixed, new hook and everything."

Relieved her tool was fixed, she called out a 'thank you' and assured Denny she'd be out soon. Setting herself as right as she could, she left the bathroom and met Denny at the table where he proudly presented her with her with the fixed fishing rod.

"Ta-dah!"

"Thanks." Chelsea snickered, less miffed about her appearance after Denny's amusing antics. "I appreciate it."

Denny playfully scoffed, smirking at Chelsea as she tried taking back the tool.

"Who said it was free? It's gonna cost ya."

"I don't think you understand how creepy that sounds."

" Please just feed me dinner, I'm hungry and low on funds this week."

Unable to hold back her full blown laughter, Chelsea laughed and hit Denny in the chest, taking back her fishing rod.

"Come on you creeper, you can eat at my house."

"You don't have anywhere to be? he asked her.

"Not that I know of."


	4. Chapter 4

Denny made himself comfortable on Chelsea's kitchen counter as she sifted through her fridge for something to make. Vegetables rolled in the pull out bin inside the appliance and she stared down in to it, puzzled on what to do. Potatoes from the previous harvest were left over, perfectly good to eat. Along with turnips and cabbage.

"I could make a root vegetable soup with cabbage broth." she offered Denny

"Yes, because cabbage is my favorite." he retorted back, sarcastically but with good humor. "Thanks, but I'd rather not go to bed ripping ass, Chelsea."

"Well it's not like anyone lives with you, sheesh."

The soup was a no go, and she didn't blame him. It was getting too warm for soup anyways, soup was definitely not a summer food. The potatoes still looked good though, so she held one up to him from her crouched position at the open fridge.

"I could make mashed potatoes...with something? I think there's some mushrooms in here. I could saute them...I don't have a protein to make though. I can't afford to buy meat right now, Mirabelle's prices are kinda steep."

Denny looked at the back of Chelsea's head fondly, appreciative of her efforts. She always meant so well and was far kinder than anyone gave her credit for. Hopping off the counter, he walked over and nudged the fridge door to get his friend's attention.

"Well, get started on the potatoes and I'll go get some fish. The river across the farm has a lot of carp, they're easy to reel in. I'll be back in like fifteen minutes." He explained to her walking away, picking up his fishing rod that he left resting on top of her tool box upon entry. " That being said, skip the mushrooms. "

So he left and Chelsea grabbed a few of the spring root vegetable and put them in the sink, running the water. She washed their brown skins carefully, and set them aside to peel. The peels came off with difficulty, Chelsea not having a peeler yet. She struggled to peel the skin off, resorting to trying to scrape it off with a knife. One potato was done and she started a second one when Denny game back with some fish. He carried four carps in by their backfins, looking at Chelsea's peeled potato which looked like someone had chewed on it from the unskilled knife marks.

"That's one fucked up potato."

"You're a fucked up potato." she threw back at him.

"...Rude."

Denny put the fish on a nearby cutting board which Chelsea just left out on the counter. He wiped his hands and turned the faucet on in the sink, rinsing his hands. Taking the third potato in his hands he fished for an extra knife in the drawer. He dug the tip in to the spud and demonstrated what to do.

"See, this is how you do it." He instructed, twirling the potato as he circled the knife around it to peel the skin off in spirals. "You're using too much effort."

Chelsea tried mimicking him, but the potato slipped and she almost cut her finger. She held the potato tighter, and tried much more determined but again she nearly hurt herself. Denny tried taking it from her but she wouldn't let him. When she finally nicked herself, he swiped it from her hands and held it from her reach while backing up to the cabinets behind him.

"Maybe I should take over." he suggested, worried Chelsea would add to the visible scrapes and cuts on her body. "You really don't know what you're doing."

"I'm doing fine, just give me that. I can do it."

Denny played keep away with Chelsea, not letting her take it back. He held it as far as his arm would allow above his head, taunting Chelsea as she tried taking it back despite their significant height difference. Being very petite, Chelsea was barely five foot three inches while Denny was about six inches taller than her. His long limbs only made the struggle all the more difficult.

"Come on!" She pleaded, laughing as Denny comically pushed her away. "Just give me it!"

"No way, nope."

Catching Denny off guard, Chelsea got creative and grabbed his shoulder hoisting herself up to even the playing field. She hooked her left arm around his neck and reached for the item with her right hand. When she almost had it, Denny surprised her by moving forward quickly and dropping her on the counter, trapping her.

The potato fell from her hand in the commotion, landing in the sink and slipping around noisily until stopping. She looked at Denny, shocked, and laughed nervously as she realized she was trapped on the counter between the wall and Denny with no leverage to push him off. He looked down at her, quietly, and she felt completely awkward. The sharp angles of his face undeniably pleasing to the eye. His deeply tanned fingers reached up to touch her face and her heart skipped a beat.

"Your face is scratched up, more than usual." He observed closely, "How'd you manage that, Chels?"

"Oh, I uh...you know, don't even worry about it. They don't hurt that bad anyways, they're already healing."

Denny looked perturbed, taking Chelsea's explanation as unusually defensive. She dismissed his concern over it as if she had something to hide and it didn't sit well with him in the least. Moving from her personal space, he kept her cornered and pressed the matter.

"They don't hurt? They sure look like they do."

"They really don't..." She insisted.

"Okay, they don't hurt. That's dandy but how did they happen?"

Chelsea put her hands on him to press him away and settle herself more comfortably. She then attempted to move him so she could get down but he stood in front of her and splayed his arms on either side of her torso, pointing out she was acting weird. He blocked her attempts to wiggle past him, shaking his head.

"Denny, what in the world could I be hiding that's so detrimental? They're just scrapes, I'm fine."

She persisted, not wanting to talk about her ...mishap...in the jungle, because explaining she had been somewhat trapped in a hut with two men would most likely set off some alarms and travel through the town faster than a typhoon.

"Well, where did they come from? If someone hurt you, I want to know. I'm just worried, you're my friend." Denny reasoned his concern, looking at the red lines on her face which ran slanted along the bridge of her nose, chin and cheek bone.

"Well just some friendly advice, you're waaay too close right now."

The dark complexioned man paused, mulling over something in his head without speaking it. His eyes stayed fixated on hers, and she looked back at him somewhat peeved. When he blinked back to life, her angry resolve shook off momentarily as his stare shifted from concerned to something much more smoldering.

"Too close, Denny." she reminded him, feeling his breath but not as unapproving of it as she led on. "You're way too close."

"Am I?"

His lips were a second away from touching hers when a loud rapping came from the door and little old Taro came in without further warning. He took in the scene before him before waving a hand in understanding. No disapproving look or disgust faced them.

"Bad time , I suppose." He said more to himself than the young people in a compromisable position. "I'll be leaving."

Taro put down a basket of what looked to be muffins and closed the door after explaining they were a thank you from Felicia for the hard work. The door shut and clicked and Chelsea's face depleted of all color. Her mind raced but her mouth struggled to keep up, words stuck in her mouth.

"Taro just saw... and you just..."

Her horrified declaration was suspended as Denny closed the distance. Chelsea yelped a muffled sound of surprised as he planted his mouth on hers. She could smell the ocean on him, along with hints wood which she associated with the piney musk of his shack. The smells were not intoxicating, nor were they particularly pleasurable aromas, but they were him and it comforted her.

The comfort lasted for a second.

The severity of the situation weighed on her in a sudden rush of mental clarity and she flinched away from her friend's intimate deed. She turned away, flicking her eyes in his direction before returning them to stare down at the sink. Having not the faintest clue of where to begin, she didn't comment. Denny's waist still remained between her knees, keeping her where she sat atop the counter like a book nestled on a shelf.

Her eyes shifted over to him again, catching his very briefly, before she pursed her lips inward uncomfortably. Denny did a fantastic job of blindsiding her, giving no warning. He felt no regret for his actions and waited for Chelsea to withdraw from her initial shock. She turned to him and his stomach jumped in surprise then dropped as she attempted to nudge him away.

"I need to get down." Chelsea told him quietly, trying to move him. "Let me down."

"Are you going to say anything?"

"I don't know what to say."

Chelsea managed to get off the counter and shook off the moment, not ready to talk about it. Denny let it go, not wanting to risk pushing Chelsea's buttons. She hadn't rejected him though, leaving him with the impression that he was in the clear. The need to talk about it was a nagging feeling, hanging over him as Chelsea carried on preparing dinner.

Potatoes in a pot, she filled it with water and placed it on the stove to boil. She noticed the fish Denny caught still on the cutting board and opened her pantry for seasoning and set the small shakers aside while she tried scaling the fish. Her back was visibly stiff while she shaved the scales off with a jerky motion of her hand.

Two palms rested flatly on her shoulders, curling to hold her, and Chelsea paused as she tried pinpointing why it felt so familiar. The feeling was vague but persistent, ringing a bell somewhere in the back of her mind. Denny pondered what to say, unable to stand by quietly anymore, clearing his throat from behind her to alert Chelsea he was about to speak.

"Look Chels, I know I came on a little strong. But at least talk to me, please?" He requested, mentally noting the scratches he could see along her cleavage from the view looking down at her. "If not I'll come back later."

And like that it clicked.

"Chelsea come back later."

Her promise to the jungle man rang loudly in her ears. Like cold water was thrown down her spine she recalled her pledge to go see him with regret. In order to keep her word, she would need to finish dinner and head to the jungle shortly after in to prevent nightfall from hindering her journey back home. Denny wasn't a busy person with any deadlines or commitments so he wouldn't be in a hurry to leave, especially not after his stunt.

"Chelsea?"

Denny called her name, jostling her a bit.

"What?" She questioned distractedly, the hand scaling the fish having ceased its task.

"Talk to me."

"Let's not do this right now..."

Resuming scaling the fish, she let her hair fall over her shoulder as she concentrated on what she was doing. Denny let her go and the fish were prepped, arranged on a baking sheet and placed in the oven. As they cooked, she forked a potato in the pot to see if it was soft enough to mash. Denny observed her for a moment then decided to set the table whilst, unknown to him, Chelsea was stressing an escape route for after dinner.


	5. Chapter 5

Sitting across from Denny Chelsea couldn't bring herself to be mad at him. He ate his food contently for what was one of many times, enjoying just as he had on many other trips to her home. It wasn't easy to fully grasp the idea of her friend having an interest in her, but it wasn't unimaginable. Denny took to her right away and their friendship grew quickly, they got along extremely well. Something she valued very much.

Denny, he was a very good looking. That went without saying. He was tall, dark and handsome with an amazingly friendly personality. He took life one day at a time and was all around just a happy, optimistic person. As a friend she adored those traits, and as a boyfriend she would worship them, but that was a blurred line she hadn't even considered.

"This is really good, I appreciate it a lot." He told her, deliberately looking at her with meaning. "I appreciate the stuff you do for me. You don't have to."

"I don't mind." Chelsea answered him back, pushing a piece of fish around her plate. "What are friends for?"

The tension between them was heavy but not smoldering. Chelsea had trouble finishing her food, too distracted by her conflicting trains of thought. As soon as Denny left she needed to trek to the Jungle and find the treehut, and she needed to do it and make it home by dark or else there'd be a repeat of her previous night there. She didn't want to get trapped in the jungle another night.

Denny finished his dinner with her, helping her wash and dry the dishes. Her movements were quick and nervous, her thoughts racing between Denny's actions and Shea waiting for her. She bumped her elbow in to Denny multiple times by accident and he took note of it, worried he had scared her earlier. For her sake he didn't say anything about it.

When the clean up was finished, Denny excused himself to go back home like he always did. Even after the events earlier, he gave her a hug as his usual thanks for dinner. She returned it, trying to pull away as she always did but he held her there. It wasn't a forceful hold, he held her closely in a friendly comforting fashion. The scrapes on her face touched the material covering his chest as she rested against it.

"Look...I'm sorry for making a move earlier." He apologized, not wanting to leave any misunderstanding before he left. "...Well actually no. I'm not 'sorry'. But you're my friend and I don't want to ruin that. I didn' t think and I should have-"

"Look Denny, it's fine. It really is. I'm not mad, you just surprised me." Chelsea explained to Denny, not wanting him to feel bad. " Everything's okay."

"...we're cool?"

Chelsea nodded, still in the embrace. Denny sighed in relief, happy to know he was still in good standing with his friend. He hugged her back a bit tighter and enjoyed the contact before cautiously speaking up.

"Is there any chance that maybe... you and I could try...?" He asked the question very carefully, not wanting to upset Chelsea again. "If not I get it, I just really like you... alot."

"Give me some time to think about it, Denny."

Denny left, optimistic that Chelsea hadn't flat out told him 'no'. Chelsea waited for him to leave her property before going back in her house and getting her rucksack. She put it on and ventured back outside, leaving her farm to visit the jungle. She caught a glimpse of Denny's purple bandana disappearing on to the beach as she stepped in to town, his head bobbing happily as he strolled away.

The jungle bridge was a very simple wooden structure that rested over a simple river. There was nothing scary about it at all, but it took all her will to force herself over it. She didn't want to go back but she'd made a promise to someone. A somewhat illiterate person but a living, breathing person with feelings no less. She owed it to Shea to keep her promise. He and Wada had been so kind to her, odd and eccentric, but kind.

She very vaguely remembered how to get to the hut, the general area of it still in mind. She wandered through the shrubbery, taking in her surroundings while doing so for better awareness in the future. The plant life was overgrown in the jungle, areas of excessive greenery. As she walked she thought back on her first encounter with Shea, when she was running through the jungle unaware that the predator chasing her was just a man.

In the moment, she was certain she'd seen her last day. It was dark, and she was lost with no way of escape. When the branch knocked her to the ground she could have sworn some ferocious carnivorous beast would tear in to her, but hands touched her instead. Shea never at any point had intentions to hurt her, and she was forever grateful that he was not savage.

The scenery around her looked familiar but at a loss for which direction to continue in, she stopped to take in her surroundings to avoid getting lost. She knew the tree hut was nearby, but all the greenery had her disorientated. The sun was still fairly high in the sky for late afternoon and if she could just get back on track she would be golden.

Be it the beginning of Summer, the warm mild Spring weather left. The temperature wasn't dreadful, but the humidity in the jungle was. The wet sticky air became increasingly aggravating as she struggled to regain her bearings. Her work clothes insulated her body heat and made her sweaty underneath the denim and cotton tops she wore, adding to the aggravation.

"Where the hell is it?" She mumbled to herself, turning her head side to side. Her hand shielded her eyes from the overhanging sun. "Damn, it's hot out here."

Deciding to go left, she swung her rucksack off and wiggled out of her overshirt. She folded it up and crammed it in her bag, continuing on without the extra layer over her tank top. Walking onward she came across a river and the temptation to jump in and cool off was very strong. Deciding to dip her legs, she walked towards it.

Chelsea stood at the edge and undid her boots, leaving them with her rucksack as she stepped in the water. It was cool and lapped at her calves as she stepped in deeper, dipping a hand in to babbling current. Cupping her hands together she scooped water in her palms and sipped at it. Dipping her hands in again, she splashed her face lightly to wash away the sweat and oils gathering there.

As she wiped water droplets from her eyes she screamed in horror as something smooth and slimy touched her leg under the water. It swam past her, rubbing her skin and she fell backwards in to the water with a big splash. Her scream echoed off the trees sharply, the surface of their bark mimicking her voice.

Getting up, she squeezed the hem of her tank top, water still dripping from it and her shorts were soaked through. It was just a fish that touched her, it's scaly body brushed her leg as it swam by. Because of it her clothes were wet on top it already being horribly humid. The moisture in the air did not compliment the moisture clinging to her clothes.

"Stupid fish!" She groaned, kicking the water making it splash away from her body. "Fucking...Ugh! Damn it!"

She stomped to the edge of the river bank, kicking her legs against the water resistance and dug for a hair tie in her bag. Finding one, she pulled her sweaty bandana off her head and tied her hair up in a messy bun. Peeling her soaked tank top from her torso she wrung it with her hands to get as much of the water out a she could and set it on her bag.

Her shorts were removed and she repeated her actions, wringing them out and laying them aside to dry as much as they could while she finished cooling off fully. Now that her clothes were wet and removed anyways she decided to go for a full dip. Her plain white cotton underwear clung to her, matching her bra, as she dove under the water's surface.

Under the water she kept her eyes closed tightly, feeling refreshed as the current cooled her body. The water made her scrapes and cuts string slightly, the ones on her face and chest not bothering her like the one on her thigh. Coming back up to the surface she took a deep breath, shaking off the water on her skin. The air was humid but significantly more tolerable after rinsing in the river. Once she dressed she could regroup and look for the hut.

Water soaked her hair, dripping down from the bun to her neck and slipping between the crevices of her contours and curves. Taking some water she cupped it in her hand and spilled it down her cleavage. Tired from lack of proper sleep and work on top of the events from earlier on, Chelsea yawned silently as she rubbed cool water over herself. A breeze passed and leaves rustled and she shivered a bit from the gust of air.

Curiously looking up her heart stopped and for the second time Chelsea fell in the water. Shea stood crouched on a tree branch, spear in hand. He hopped down on to the ground by the river, landing on his feet skillfully with a hearty thud under his enormous height. He looked at Chelsea fumble in the water and as she tried getting up she screamed as another fish slithered between her legs.

She hopped back and forth trying to shoo away the fish but it swam up, bumping her thigh as it tried escaping. She backed inwards of the river, the deeper water engulfing her torso up to her shoulders and Shea mistook her squeamish antics as signs of danger. He ran to the edge of the river, jumping in towards Chelsea. His solid build hit the surface of the water with huge splash, scaring her far more than the dumb fish had.

His powerful legs cut through the water easily as he made his way to her, picking her up with the worry that she was in danger. He pointed his spear down in to the water, stabbing the threat. He pulled it up triumphully, face suddenly confused as he stared down the impaled corpse of a simple big game fish. It flopped weakly until going limp.

"Fish." he stated simply, looking at Chelsea. He tilted the speared fish towards her. "Just fish."

Shea's chest was hot under her palms as she pushed herself off it. He had picked her up from around the waist, her wet torso sticking to his. The proximity was not what she would have preferred but it would have been a blasphemous lie if she were to claim the feeling of his large and bulging muscles on her skin weren't pleasurable... or making her mind go just a twinge off rail.

The jungle man stood an entire foot taller than her, measuring at what she could see was well over six feet. Her estimation concluded he was six foot three, massive. He had to weigh at least double what she did being she was very petite with just below average weight for a woman of only five feet and three inches. If she had to guess, Shea was about two hundred thirty pounds. Two hundred pounds of solid muscle.

"The fish scared me..." Chelsea mumbled weakly, trying to work her way out of shea's hold as she began wondering how he even found her. " Did you know I was here?"

Shea rested the stick of the spear on his shoulder, fish hanging out behind him, and he let her back down in to the water away from the center. Her feet dipped in to the water, her calves following in after them as he lowered her. She waddled further away until the surface reached her hips rather than reaching her ribcage where Shea originally placed her.

"Hear scream." Shea answered her, watching as she moved towards the river bank to her things. "Chelsea scream."

Chelsea climbed out and felt her clothes, both unsurprised and unhappy that her clothes were still uncomfortably damp. She muttered to herself then looked back at Shea. He was still standing in the water. She recalled the horrid scream she let out at the first fish that touched her and found it astounding that Shea heard it, assuming his hut were far enough away that he wouldn't have.

'You heard me scream that far?" She asked, assuming Shea had been a distance away. "Really?"

Shea nodded, pointing to the trees surrounding them.

"Jungle carry voice, very loud." he explained to her. "I hear. Then I come."

"….did you come to help me?"

"Shea save Chelsea." he said, holding the spear up. "...from fish."

The thought of Shea coming to save her was awfully sweet. Chelsea could not deny her gratitude for the jungle man's compassion and concern. Being it was simply a fish she had screamed over, she was fine. Had she really been in danger she would have been fine anyways with him there it seemed.

"Thank you Shea" Chelsea expressed her thanks to him. Shaking out her wet shirt. " Thank you very much."

The jungle man nodded, looking at Chelsea. He looked from the water he stood in to where she stood on land.

"Chelsea wash to see Shea?"

"Huh?"

Shea pointed to her, not knowing how rude it looked.

"Chelsea promise come back." he reminded her. "You wash in river. For Shea?"

Chelsea's dip in the river was never at any point a hygiene driven act. Had anyone else in the world asked her such a thing she would have told them not to flatter themselves, but Shea was about as innocent as a child ...in some ways. She was in the water almost naked, so he had reason to assume she was bathing. She tried coming up with a way to explain her mishap and such but couldn't word it as shortly as she saw fit for his vocabulary.

"Yes?" Chelsea replied, knowing that explaining her mishap with the fish and whatnot may be too much for the language barrier between them. " Sure. Just taking a bath..."

"Bath?"

"Wash."

Chelsea held her wet shirt in her hands unsure if she wanted to put it on. Her clothes were damp and if she wore them to walk back through the jungle she would chafe horribly. Nudity was a concern, a huge concern. She didn't want to relive her near naked experience with Shea again but it seemed to have already been set in motion.

He looked her over with observing eyes, Shea took in the skin he'd seen the previous day. His eyes lingered to her chest were a bra was now worn, the white fabric covering her breasts. The garment puzzled him but he didn't question it. He began walking out of the water, approaching Chelsea.

Figuring he'd already seen all the treasure, minus for the treasure chest itself, she chose not to put on her wet clothes. She would just keep attentive tabs on Shea. The man showed intrigue to Wada's 'lesson' of the female anatomy and she didn't want to be part of the aftermath to new curiosity. With him, her body wasn't sexual. Not that he was consciously aware of.

"Chelsea come to hut now?" he asked as he stepped out of the river. " Cook fish."

Although not wearing clothes, she debated whether to put on her socks and shoes. She ended up draping her wet clothes over her arms and shoving her boots in her bag before tossing her rucksack over her shoulder. Shea began leading the way to the hut and she followed him, noting how rough the jungle floor was on her bare feet.

She dealt with it as the walked until an especially large stick dug in to her foot, the rigid edges of it too much for her soft skin. She yelped in pain, shaking her foot out to ease the discomfort. Shea turned to face her, watching her flail her foot in pain. He picked her up without asking and carried her through the shade of overhanging branches.

"Chelsea very small." he remarked, twigs snapping under his feet.

"Thank you?"

"Need be stronger." Shea scolded very flatly, simple and to the point. " Chelsea need be strong. Eat fish and be stronger, just like Shea."

Not knowing what to say, Chelsea just agreed with him. Looking around the dense jungle she wondered how exactly one lived amongst the trees. The world of Shea's seemed so odd to her, wilderness and bare necessities. Living off the land without modern luxuries. It just seemed so... so... primitive. Shea himself was just barely able to communicate, let alone be considered civilized. But still, there was something charming to him, like a child's who's curiosity saw no limits. As Shea walked with her in his hold, she wondered exactly Shea was capable of.


	6. Chapter 6

Arriving at the tree hut, Chelsea saw that she'd been on the right track before getting detoured at the river. She knew how to find Shea's home. Walking up to the ladder, she readied herself to be put down but Shea didn't put her down. He chucked the speared fish up at the high ledge, where it landed perfectly, before throwing Chelsea over his shoulder and climbing the ladder.

Shea's lack of grace and poise were not new and she let it go. He didn't understand there were gentler ways of doing things and proceeded to carry Chelsea up the ladder as if she were a freshly hunted deer carcass slung over his broad shoulder. At the entrance to the hut, Shea slid the spear inside with a kick of his foot to the blunt side. He then set Chelsea down on the fur pelts, handling her surprisingly far more gently than when he tossed her over his shoulder. He set to work preparing the fish to be cooked as Chelsea laid her clothes out to dry on the floor by the pelts.

Taking her rucksack off, she set it aside as well. Sitting on the furs nearly naked was too familiar, de ja vu even. She tapped her fingers on her thighs anxiously, wishing it were a tad less hot and humid so she could use the pelts as a blanket again. Her fingers rubbed against the scrape on her upper thigh and she flinched slightly but not nearly enough to be considered painful.

The cut she'd gotten during her nighttime chase through the jungle was significantly better than the night before. The wound was still opened, pink and scabbing over very lightly and felt much better after the cleansing and salt water rinse. She had both Shea and Denny to thank for those. The scrapes and cuts on her face and clevage were still visible, healing in the same way her thigh was but far more evenly.

The hut was quiet and Chelsea watched Shea finish preparing the fish. It was fairly large, about a foot in length. He skewered it with a stick it and set it to cook over a small fire. She looked at him, unsure of what to say or do. He focused on the large fish he was cooking very concentrated, rotating it as it cooked and moving it to ensure each part was fully cooked. When it was done he removed it from the fire and walked over to her, crouching in a squatted position to proudly present it.

He held the fish by the two ends of the skewer, holding It out to her horizontally. The fish was far more than she needed in terms of portion size, on top of already eating a little before coming to see him. Not wanting to offend him or his kind gesture, she took the skewer from him. Before biting in to it, she looked back to Shea.

"This is a lot of fish..." She told Shea, eyeing the unnecessary amount of food. "I don't think I can eat all this."

"Chelsea eat, be stronger." He encouraged her. "What Chelsea no finish, Shea eat. But Chelsea eat first."

Taking her first bite, she was watched closely by Shea. Chewing, she smiled and nodded to appease him. The fish was the same unseasoned, broiled flavor she had eaten before with Shea. The bland taste didn't outweigh her gratitude for his kind intentions.

"Fish good." Shea explained to Chelsea. "Wada say make Shea strong for jungle. Chelsea be stronger too."

Wada had shown interest in Chelsea's size and strength the night before, just as Shea was currently doing. She didn't fixate on it, presuming that to a pair of jungle dwellers strength and size were important. In order to fend for themselves and survive they needed to be strong.

Wada wasn't a very tall man but looked to carry a fair weight of muscle on him. He was slender with a much sleeker build than Shea who outsized both him and her in every way. Just looking at Wada she should have seen the clear difference in their appearances, knowing he wasn't Shea's biological father. But at the time she was more preoccupied with other concerning matters.

"Wada... where is he?" She asked Shea, skimming her eyes over the empty hammock on the other side of the hut. "He's not here."

"Shea not know." Shea confessed, watching her take another bite of fish. " ...leave to get something in morning. No back yet"

"Oh."

Shea nodded, encouraging Chelsea to eat more. Out of the foot long fish she was able to finish about half of it, a little less. Holding her stomach to show her satisfaction, she held the remaining fish out for Shea to take. He looked disappointed, offering for her to take it back to eat more but Chelsea shook her head and rubbed her stomach.

"I've had enough, Shea." She explained. "You eat the rest of it. Okay?"

Eating the remainder of the fish was easy for Shea. He finished it and put the skewer back near the fire, next to the clay bowl where flames flickered. He doused the flames with a small splash of water from a vase and then offered the water vase to Chelsea. The hut was hot and she accepted the water, drinking from the vase as instructed by Shea.

He took back the water as she drank to her contentment and then took a drink himself. He put the vase back and returned to Chelsea, kneeling in front of her crisscrossed legs. She looked away a little at his intense brown eyes, scratching the wet band of fabric wrapped around her upper back. The damp material was chaffing the skin underneath and if not under Shea's stare she would had just taken it off.

"What that? You no wear before." Shea observed, staring at her bra. "Strange. Clothes?"

"It's clothes for my breasts, Shea." She explained, noting his lack of understanding at 'breasts'. "Breasts. These... things."

Chelsea tapped her finger on the soft flesh of her cleavage. Her breasts looked strained underneath the tight garment, her skin turning pink from the wet fabric. Shea took the reddening skin as cause of the bra itself and not the fact that it was wet. Chelsea fiddling with the straps and band didn't help.

"No look comfortable." he observed which Chelsea agreed to. "Take off. Skin red."

Being Shea knew what her breasts looked like, and that the hut was grossly hot , she took it off. Not scared of Shea trying something, she freed her breasts and dropped her bra on the floor to dry with her clothes. Her nipples were flattened and soft from the warm compression of her bra, looking different than what Shea remembered.

The night he'd seen her breasts it was cool in the hut from the evening air. Her rosy nipples were stiff and peaked from the cold, her breasts tighter and higher on her chest as her skin constricted from the dropped temperature. Now her breasts hung a little lower on her chest, her nipples soft and smooth.

He reached out to touch her and Chelsea almost swatted him away before remembering that to Shea, touching her chest was like touching his own. The difference in anatomy was nothing and the concept of personal space was nonexistent. Still, innocent as it was on his part, it was odd as he prodded her nipples with his fingers.

"Different." he said, poking the other one. "Soft."

"Yeah..."

The fingers moved to the plush flesh surrounding her areola and pushed down, making the pillowy surface indent and jiggle as he pressed up and down repeatedly. Even while kneeling he towered over her and Chelsea felt too nervous to look up at him as he explored her chest innocently. His fingers were calloused and caught on her skin, making her pull away a little.

Shea followed the movement, leaning in closer. He grabbed her breasts fully in his hands and rubbed her nipples with his thumbs. The pink nubs moved under the pads of his thumbs as he played with the raised surface and Chelsea bit her tongue in surprise as she felt arousal humming in her panties. The peaks under Shea's thumbs caught under the roughened skin and he kept rubbing, Chelsea shifting her hips unnoticeably as her legs were crisscrossed and couldn't be closed.

Shea was transfixed by the elasticity of the protruding pink bumps on Chelsea's chest, playing with them with fascination. Wetness trickled from inside Chelsea, the warm fluid slipping past her labia to her underwear in a very light string. The fear she had of Shea's large stature mingled with the physical arousal she felt had the tingles spreading through her body surfacing through goose bumps on her skin.

With a weak hand she nudged Shea away but he shifted his weight suddenly and moved closer. Chelsea uncrossed her legs to move away but they were not quick enough and Shea was over her as she fell back on the furs. Her legs were open with Shea between them and he stared at her chest reaching for it again.

Regretting her decision not to put her wet clothes back on, Chelsea lay on the furs shuddering as Shea continued his exploration of her chest. His own breathing became labored as he took Chelsea's breasts and bounced them, seeing them jiggle as they moved apart on her chest with gravitational pull. His loin cloth tented, she saw it as she looked down away from his face.

His erection didn't scare her quite like it had the first time, the arousal making her question if she would be against him trying to use it. She jumped between thoughts, one being the possibility of Shea wanting to use his erection, another being if she now wanted him to use it. The change in mentality felt almost shameful but looking up from his tented loincloth to him she was struck amazed.

She hadn't noticed before, but Shea was very attractive. His hair was naturally straight and a lovely chestnut brown, the color complementary to his bronzed skin. He was massive in size, both frighteningly and arousingly so as he loomed over her small form. His body was sculpted with contoured dips and grooves the muscles bulging under his tanned tight skin. She'd seen for herself that Shea could pick her up with ease, she wouldn't put it past him to be able to toss her too.

As he slid his hands down to the skin under her breasts, she reminded herself that if Shea really wanted to do something to her, there would be nothing she could do to stop it. The inkling thought of rape would have been terrifying had she not already been stirred aroused by his touches. Resting his palms on her ribcage, Shea looked down to the damp panties sticking to her body.

Chelsea didn't move away from him as he reached for them this time. He pinched the clingy fabric, studying it. The white cotton was somewhat see through being it was wet and stuck to her body. Shea touched the mound of her pubic bone, confused as he rubbed the smooth surface from over her underwear.

His touch there was the final straw and she concluded that she did want him. Lower stomach coiled with growing arousal, Chelsea reached down to her panties and rolled down the elastic band towards Shea. She slipped them down to the swell of her hips until they exposed the first Inch of her pubic bone.

Shea's eye was drawn to the very pale, smooth peek of skin. The skin he had tried seeing the night before but was thwarted by Chelsea and reprimanded by Wada. Grasping the underwear, he pulled them down her legs and let them land somewhere next to him. He kept his eyes on her pubic mound, gaze only dipping lower when Chelsea spread her legs a bit wider with her knees bent.

The pink flesh inside her peeked out from her slightly spread labia, wetness glistening faintly on the shaved slit. Chest hot and constricting in anticipation for him to do something, she took a breath as he reached his hand out to her. He touched her shaven flesh, rubbing the soft surface with unfamiliarity. It was soft in a different way her breasts were, and he seemed to like it.

Moving her foot in, Chelsea touched the bulge under his loincloth with her big toe, also curious to what he had lying out of sight. His time spent touching her body had gone without speaking, silently exploring. Now he made eye contact with her deciding on what to say.

" Chelsea want see too?" He offered.

Cheeks warm for reasons not related to the summer heat, Chelsea nodded once very slowly. Shea nudged her foot away and untied the knot to his loincloth, the spotted animal pelt falling between his spread knees. His erection was swollen, the skin darker than his body. She looked at it, impressed at the large size.

Something about Shea's erection caught her off guard, however. She made the naïve assumption that Shea would be circumcised, but he wasn't. Something she should have known after Wada's story. The skin wrapped around his penis was still intact, a result of no medical intervention at birth. Shea saw her staring and beckoned her to him with his hand. She carefully sat up from the furs. Moving forward, she crawled towards him until she knelt like he did.

"Chelsea feel?" he asked, offering to let her touch him as he had done to her. "Shea let."

Swallowing, she took her index finger and touched the pink peeking out from the skin on his penis. Shea sniffed at the contact, body tightening. She swirled her fingertip in the sticky droplets pooling there and Shea's abdomen twitched at the touch. Carefully wrapping her fingers around him, she loosely squeezed.

From above her she heard a pleased grunt and she bit her lower lip, stroking him fully. The tingling between her legs increased as Shea groaned from her touch. She knew Shea was unknowledgeable to the full dynamics of sex, things such as foreplay and a women's needs. For that reason she did not expect Shea to return the favor as she touched him.

Choosing to touch herself, she used her free hand as she stroked Shea with the other. She dipped her fingers between her intimate lips and sought out the pearl there. The round bead was firm and slippery with her trickling fluids already, silky wetness coating it. Tracing it gently she soothed the growing ache with pleasurable sensations. Her hand on Shea moved slowly as she teased herself.

Chelsea gasped, startled as her wrist was snatched and pulled off herself. She whipped her head up to Shea and he looked at her wet, shining fingers. He smelled them and brought them to his mouth, tasting the fluids. She wanted her hand back to continue what she was doing but Shea pleased her with an alternative. He let go of her hand and removed hers from him, pushing her to lay back.

Moving in close to her wet sex Shea held himself confidently, now understanding what Wada had explained to him. It clicked and his instinct took over. His thighs were so big Chelsea had to lift her legs for him to enter her smoothly. Holding them up and apart, she gasped as his girth penetrated her quickly. Never did Chelsea think she'd be thankful for losing her virginity to her city scum bag boyfriend years back, but feeling Shea's ungentle approach to their first time together made her all the more appreciative of the expression 'everything happens for a reason".

He didn't wait at all, thrusting in to her powerfully. He said nothing as Chelsea moaned loudly, bucking her body in to the pile of fur pelts which rubbed her back luxuriously. His persistent, firm thrusts drove his pelvis in to hers, his pubic bone hitting her exposed clitoris rhythmically and she groaned in satisfaction. Her fluids secreted from her, slickening Shea's erect member.

Shea's face was set in a strained expression, his brows pulled together as he moved in her. Chelsea's sounds pleased him in a way he didn't understand, much how the heat in his groin propelled him to keep moving. Chelsea grabbed him by the forearms and squeezed them tightly, her nails digging in to him as she wailed with overwhelmed sounding screams. Her insides were squeezing down on him so tightly, there not having been much extra room in there to begin with.

Sweat began leaking from her pores as her face turned red just like his own as he hastened his pace, feeling something build inside him. A rush filled him with urgency and he drove in to Chelsea furoicuosuly until she reached her hands up to claw at his biceps with tightly curled fingers. She screamed, throwing her head back as her throat was exposed. With a low scream of his own, his hips snapped forward and he climaxed.

Chelsea knew the risk to come as she felt his seed enter her. In the haze of her own climax she seldomly swore to seek out the doctor as soon as she returned to town. The thought lingered in the forefront of her mind for a moment but dispersed as she shut her eyes. Fatigue washed over her and she wished she were submerged in the river like before as her skin felt as if steam were billowing from it.

Chelsea's ears felt plugged as if she were in a tunnel as she could hear her blood rushing through them, along with the steady beat of her pulse in her temples. She focused on her breathing, calming herself until she heard the creak of someone climbing the ladder.


	7. Chapter 7

Shea didn't react as the sound of someone climbing the ladder grew louder. Chelsea panicked and attempted to wiggle out from under Shea but he held her worriedly, not knowing why she was causing such a fuss. Before she knew it, their visitor arrived.

Chelsea bolted up so quickly her ears popped, sound flooding through to her once more. Shea kneeled with her movement and held her, his back to their visitor, his form unintentionally covering bare Chelsea. With large, horrified eyes Chelsea stared at Wada whom eyed the two in silence. Craning his neck over to view his father figure, Shea nodded in greeting.

"Wada back." he stated very nonchalantly, looking to the woven satchel Wada had slung over his shoulder. "What bring?"

Wada didn't answer Shea, instead he crept closer. Face having gone ghastly shade of white, Chelsea clung to Shea for her modesty. Shea looked at her worriedly, her firm grip startling him. When Wada stood over the two he bent over and brought his face in closer to Chelsea's, raising a hand to her head. He held it loosely, and nodded approvingly.

"Family."

Shaking her head, Chelsea denied Wada's insinuation. The elder nodded gruffly in response, tapping his spear to the hut floor firmly.

"Family." he repeated.

"Family?"

Shea looked to Wada with confusion before his eyes filled with understanding. Turning back to Chelsea, Shea smiled and held her closer.

"Family!" He exclaimed nodding his head once to her in satisfaction.

Trembling in Shea's arms Chelsea observed as Wada rummaged around in the woven satchel he possessed, retrieving something. He pulled out a necklace, the ropey material strung with odd beads. The beads consisted of round white bits with longer, more oblong shaped beads with a dark brown color. The darker beads were smooth and polished, nearly black in color. The bead were made of animal bone.

"Shea." Wada grunted, motioning for son to take the necklace from him.

Taking the necklace as instructed, apparently Shea knew what he was supposed to do. He peeled Chelsea off his chest a bit and took the necklace, placing it over her head. The necklace lay surprising light around her neck, hanging down to her collarbone. Shea's eyes were vivid as he took in Chelsea with the jewelry, completely indifferent to their nudity as was Wada.

"What is this for?" Chelsea managed to ask, bringing her trembling arms to her chest. "Why are you giving me this?"

Although asking, Chelsea already had a dreadfully creeping suspicion what the necklace's gifting symbolized. Holding her breath, she hoped she was wrong. But Alas, she wasn't. Shea was besides himself with joy, looking to Chelsea adoringly.

"Chelsea mate." Shea explained to her, grasping her by the shoulders proudly. "Chelsea mine."

Having not a clue how to breach the situation, or what doing so would entail in terms of consequences, Chelsea remained silent. The once light necklace now bore down around her neck like a weight, nearly choking her.

It'd been a struggle, leaving the jungle. Dressing as calmly as she could manage, she left with an uneasy goodbye to both the men of the hut. Shea was distraught, grabbing her in effort to keep her there. Chelsea pulled away, insisting she go.

"I have a home." she told him. "I have to go."

"Chelsea mate, Chelsea stay here!" Shea insisted to her, gesturing to the hut. " Live here with Shea."

" I have to go..."

Wada watched on as Chelsea pulled Shea's fingers from her, blinking his dark eyes steadily. Shea held Chelsea, pleading for her to stay. When Chelsea looked to Wada, the elder clicked his tongue at Shea. A signal he responded to, his attention drawn to his father.

"Chelsea go." he explained to Shea simply, his eyes shifting to Chelsea very seriously. "...But Chelsea come back."

Swallowing thickly, Chelsea agreed without feeling she had a choice. Shea looked at her sadly as she hurried from the hut and down the ladder with her belongings. As she descended the ladder the necklace around her neck clacked against her collarbone, a far too soon reminder of what she'd gotten herself in to.

Through the jungle she ran, wincing with her sore thigh. She ran hurriedly, in a panic, as fast as her legs would carry her. The necklace beat down upon her with her strides, adding fuel to the fire. She pulled off the necklace and gripped it tightly at her side, dashing over the bridge in to town.

Back at home Chelsea threw open the door and locked it behind herself, panting heavily. Dropping her bag on the table she let the necklace in her hands slip from her fingers on to the wooden surface. The beads hit the poorly polished surface with a click and with uneasy steps she walked away. The bathroom door was opened and shut quietly, the sound of water running following soon after.

Xxxxx

"Miss Chelsea, how can I help you this morning?"

Sitting in a chair at his desk, the island's new doctor peered at Chelsea from over the top of his reading glasses. The raven haired man smiled in a friendly manner, coaxing Chelsea to come from the front door she just entered from.

Unsure of how to respond, Chelsea faltered. She looked away briefly and Trent caught her uneasiness. Beckoning her forward he motioned for her to situate herself behind a curtained off cubicle. Following her in, he shut the curtain behind them and smiled warmly.

"What seems to be the problem?" He questioned her. "Is everything alright?"

"Well yes...I just came in for something and I'll be on my way." Chelsea answered him quickly."I'm so sorry to bother you for this..."

With patient eyes the doctor assured her she was no trouble to him at all.

"Now what is it that you need?"

"I would like the morning after pill please..." She whispered quite embarrassedly to the doctor. "Do you have them here?"

Unphased, Trent nodded and walked off to retrieve what Chelsea requested. Alone in the cubicle Chelsea twiddled her fingers anxiously, still agonizing over the request she'd made. Trent's shoes were heard clicking the floor as he left before a closet was opened in the distance. Bottles and medicine boxes were moved around before the closet door was heard shutting and Trent walked back.

"Here we are." he announced with his return, holding a small box out to her...two small boxes.

Taking them from him, Chelsea was confused. The smaller box contained the pill she requested where as the second larger box contained...

A pregnancy test.

"Dr. Trent-"

"Merely a precaution" he advised her, referring to the pregnancy test. "If you miss your upcoming cycle it would be in your best interest to take a test."

"Right..."

Embarrassed deeply, Chelsea tucked away the pharmaceuticals in to her bag. Paying for them, she gave the doctor a polite smile and left promptly. She left the clinic entrance, closing the door gently before stumbling upon a familiar purple bandana clad fishermen. Denny spotted her walking away from the clinic and ran over.

"Hey Chels!" He greeted her, coming in for a hug. "What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"You looked scared... did your visit with the doctor not go well?"

Realizing her face portrayed her anxiety, Chelsea quickly tried shaking it off. Hugging Denny back, she reassured him she was okay. When the topic of why she had visited the clinic came up, Chelsea tried her best to breeze past it as painlessly as possible... which entailed lying.

"I had a slight fever last night before bed but I'm fine. I just came to get some aspirin and make sure all is well..."

"Oh, the fever is gone though right?"

Still holding Chelsea, Denny tilted her face up and then touched his hand to her face. She tried pulling away and Denny kept her still, testing her body temperature. The worry on Denny's face evaporated as he felt Chelsea's forehead was in fact fine and not feverish. Aside from looking sick with worry, Chelsea didn't look ill .

"No fever." Denny confirmed approvingly. "You're really feeling okay though, right?"

Nodding, Chelsea promised she was fine. In turn Denny smiled and Chelsea very awkwardly peeled herself out from his hold. Mumbling something about needing to work, she turned to leave.

"If you weren't feeling well last night I could help you water the crops again." he offered suddenly. "I don't mind. You should take it easy."

"Don't worry about me, like I said I'm fine."

"Are you sure you're okay, Chels?"

Denny's unconvinced tone was blatantly clear and Chelsea's skin coughed dryly, clearing her throat. Trying her best to assure Denny all was fine, she turned to him and smiled as best as she could. Even so Denny wasn't convinced.

"Just let me help, it's no trouble."

"Really Denny, it's okay."

"It would make me feel better"

Xxxxxx

"That wasn't so bad. "

Inside Chelsea's home that afternoon Denny sat himself down at Chelsea's table as she fetched them some water with a pitcher. Pouring Denny a glass, she then poured her own as Denny drank. By the time she was done filling her Denny was nearly done with his.

"Not so bad, huh?" She joked, amused at how parched he was. "You're pretty thirsty."

"It's warm out."

"Mmhm."

Refilling his glass, Chelsea set the pitcher down on the table where her necklace was now missing. The jewelry placed in a drawer of her nightstand, out of sight out of mind. Grimacing with the memory of the previous day, Chelsea swallowed down the nervous feeling that followed her promise to Wada and Shea.

" You look like you're going to throw up."

Concerned, Denny watched Chelsea. In response Chelsea internally chided herself for being so careless, an open book without consent. Waving off Denny's worry, she took a seat across from him while being more aware of her posture and body language. Sipping her own water slowly, she drank a few mouthfuls before setting the glass down.

"I still have a bunch of muffins Taro left me, they're in the fridge if you want one." Chelsea offered in attempt to break the awkwardness she herself felt. "They're corn..."

"Well I'm not one to turn down food"

Off Denny went to retrieve a muffin and Chelsea recalled the moment Taro had walked in on them while dropping the pastries off. As Denny opened the fridge she worried over whether Taro had said anything to anyone, his reputation for being rather talkative superseding him. She doubted Denny would care but she herself was a bit more reserved about such matters. Especially considering they were not a couple, not that Taro knew that.

"We need should go see Taro." Denney called out to her from the kitchen.

"Huh, why?" She answered in reply, chest tightening defensively. "Why would we do that?"

"We should thank him for dropping these off, and Felicia for making them. They look really good." He explained, "You gonna have one too, Chels?"

"Um, sure. Yeah, I'll have one."

Handing Chelsea the muffin, Denny resumed his own seat and peeled away the paper to his own muffin. Taking a bite he made a sound of contentment, pleasantly surprised at how good the breakfast pastry was.

"Felicia really knows what she's doing." Denny remarked, taking another bite. "These are good."

"They are good." Chelsea agreed, taking a small bite of her own. "They're also good with butter, wish I had some."

"I hear ya, corn muffins and butter are pretty good combo."

Brushing crumbs off her pants, Chelsea took another bite followed by a drink. Looking up she caught Denny's eyes on her and quickly turned flush. The brown eyes on her were not those of a platonic interest and as a result Chelsea looked away promptly.

"...so how's the thinking been going" Denny pried after a moment of silence, knowing exactly what was going through his friend's mind. "Maybe I'm asking too soon..."

"It's definitely a bit soon, Denny."

"Sorry, just curious."

Continuing to drink water, Chelsea avoided Denny's face. At first Denny allowed it but after a moment's contemplation he spoke up. With a well intention reassurance, he got Chelsea's attention.

"Look Chelsea, if you're really not interested just tell me. It won't hurt my feelings."

"It's not that I'm not interested, Denny." Chelsea explained to him apologetically, playing with the condensation on her glass. "It's just..."

"Is there someone else?"


	8. Chapter 8

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys! Thank you for stopping by and reading! Always appreciated. Hope you enjoy.

xxxxx

Chelsea didn't have an answer for Denny that day he pried her, not immediately. With well contained disappointment he did as any gentleman would so, he wished Chelsea well and left to avoid making her any more uncomfortable. But before he could leave, Chelsea spoke up.

"There isn't someone else."

"If there was, would you tell me?"

"Yes."

The farmer's head was in an erratic haze with too much going on around her. Although clueless to all that actually plagued her, Denny worried. He left Chelsea to her own devices without incident following that encounter. For a few days they hadn't spoken. And in those three days, neither had she and Shea.

It weighed heavily on her conscience, breaking the promise to return to the jungle. It ate Chelsea up inside as she ran her daily errands around the island, foraging and gathering materials. As Evening approached towards the fourth day, she just didn't feel right in her own skin. With imagination conjuring up images of Shea and how hurt he must have been, or perhaps even angry, she battled anxiety and guilt.

Beforehand it hadn't dawned on her that Shea was capable of anger. He'd done no harm to her before, but what was to be anticipated from an uncivilized man in the heat of rage? Chelsea, as well as many others, had known plenty of civilized men in their time who behaved like wild animals when their pride had been wounded. What would there be from a man who actually lived like a wild animal? Terrified to find out, the farmer went to do right by Shea. And to be safe, she brought along the souvenir she'd been bestowed with last time.

Of course, she knew where the hut was. She found it quicker than she cared for that evening. For a moment she debated going for a walk before entering, but as night time was covering the jungle in a humid, dark blanket right before her eyes she thought better of it. Now that she was there, the safest thing to do was climb up the ladder.

As Chelsea placed her hands on the ladder the young woman's heart stopped. Her attention was drawn to the loud exclamation and commotion from high up above in the tree. And it was clearly Shea. Just barely she could hear Wada speaking, it was their native language so she had no clue what they were saying. With heart in her pale, tensing throat, she swallowed heavily and began climbing once again.

The commotion only grew louder during the climb, getting closer to the platform up top. There was a bang, like something had been thrown. Chelsea teared up, absolutely dreading what she was about to do. She made it up to the ledge and stood by the animal hide and beads hanging as the hut's door. Swallowing thickly, she prepared to enter when suddenly there was a loud thud and the platform vibrated briefly under her feet with the impact.

Then there was crying.

Peeking in ever so carefully she saw Shea, in all his massive glory crumbled down to his knees and crying. He held his head and sobbed, Wada shaking his head. The elder held his staff with a stiff hand and touched Shea with a more gentle one.

"Shea..." He sighed before going on in their native tongue.

"Wada..." Shea sobbed back pitifully. "Chelsea..."

Taking a silent breath, Chelsea braced herself to announce an arrival. She touched her necklace for a moment then peered back in at Shea who just looked so miserable and heart broken. He wasn't scary. And he wasn't mad. The poor thing was completely confused and heart broken, just like a little kid. He didn't know any better.

Pulling back the animal hide, Chelsea stepped in the hut. The floorboards creaked with her entrance. Wada and Shea both looked up. Shea's expression slowly lit up, meanwhile Wada scowled heavily. His eyes never left the brunette farmer. She stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. With a barely perceivable shift of his head, the elder signaled for Chelsea to approach his son.

Doing as instructed, she approached Shea and squatted down to look him in the eye. He brought his hands to the beaded necklace and touched it before resting his hands on his mate's arms. He smiled.

"Chelsea."

"Hi, Shea..."

"Chelsea, back! Wada, look! My mate!"

Glancing up with just her trepidatious eyes, Chelsea saw Wada still staring with disapproval. She didn't blame him, and she couldn't bring herself to either. As trapped as she had really been in to the whole arrangement with Shea, Wada was still Shea's father. As a father Wada must have cared about Shea's happiness more than anything. Even if it meant trying to snag the first woman he could find for his grown son.

So, with slight less malice, Wada looked at the necklace Chelsea wore around her neck. She had worn it, that alone was a sign of respect and loyalty in Wada's eyes. It pleased him.

"Three days..." Wada commented, ominously. "Long time."

The elder took his staff and tapped Shea with it gently to get his attention. Wada then pointed the staff towards the hut exit.

"Leave now." He announced. " Wada sleep outside. Hut hot, no good."

As promised, Wada left. The animal hide and beads swished with his exit, leaving Shea and Chelsea alone. She set her back-pack aside and sat down on the furs lining the floor beneath her, smiling nervously at Shea. Just as Wada had said, the hut was hot. She wiped at her forehead. She didn't know what to do or say. Thankfully, Shea did the talking.

"So happy see Chelsea."

"That's so nice... I'm happy to see you too, Shea."

"Really?"

She nodded slowly. Although not being completely honest, Chelsea was to some degree happy to see him. Even if only because she had seen him so devastated and her arrival clearly meant so much to him. The jungle man was very sweet, and clearly committed. However Wada had raised him, Shea took his 'marriage' seriously. If only Chelsea's society cared that deeply about their vows...

"Yes. I'm happy to see you."

"Where Chelsea go? Chelsea no come for three days..." Shea questioned. "Shea think something bad happen to Chelsea."

"Nothing bad happened to me, Shea. I was just busy. You know? Work?"

Shea nodded, understanding the concept of manual labor. Wada put him to work all the time, hunting and gathering and what not. Building fires and fixing up the hut. Cooking, ect.

"Chelsea spend time with Shea now."

"Well, that's why I'm here." she explained to him. "I'm here to see you."

"Chelsea stay night."

Chelsea had no intention to stay the night and opened her mouth to decline but stopped as she saw how hopeful Shea was. He had his heart set on it. So, relenting to him, Chelsea nodded. If she went to sleep early enough surely she could wake up and make it across town before anyone could leave their frontdoors and spot her leaving the jungle. When agreeing to stay, Shea began placing more furs on the hut floor. One had beads tied at the edges, tufts of fur braided through. It was the center piece and Shea urged Chelsea to lie back.

"...oh, are we sleeping already?" She asked him while lying back down. "That's fine, I guess. I'm tired."

After taking a moment to kick off shoes, Chelsea rolled over to her side, only to be stopped with Shea's hand on her hip. He rolled her back to lie flat and brought his body over hers. Chelsea flinched when his fingers went for her concealed breasts.

"No, no, no..." she chided him, uncomfortably. "We aren't doing that."

"…but make baby. Wada say-"

"Not today... sleep. We sleep, okay?"

The reluctance to make a baby baffled Shea. He simply did not understand. Cursing Wada as kindly as she could in her head, Chelsea wondered how long it would take to convince Shea they were not having a baby. Again, she rolled back over on to her side, turning her back to him. Shea didn't lie back down. Noticing such, Chelsea peered over her shoulder to see what was wrong, as the problem was pointed right at her from under his Shea's loin cloth.

"Time for bed." Chelsea repeated quickly, resuming her position. "I am so tired...goodnight."

Slowly Shea laid down behind Chelsea whom defensively listened to make sure he behaved himself. After having had unprotected sex once, there was no way she was repeating her mistake again. One trip to the clinic for emergency contraception was enough for her. And aside from simply not wanting to encourage Shea's sexual urges, she also had no contraception available on her. A second trip to the clinic for a morning after pill was absolutely out of the question. No way no how.

Shea's problem wasn't going away, that Chelsea could surmise as she felt it. The large man had laid on his side and it grazed her in the shift. He soon became restless and constantly changed positions. It drove Chelsea crazy. She just wanted to sleep and the sooner the better. Thinking for a moment, Chelsea sighed.

"Shea... lie down."

"Shea lying down right now."

"I mean lie on your back."

Doing as he was told, Shea laid on his back. Chelsea slowly reached for his loin cloth, pausing for a moment before she touched him.

"I'll do this for you, nothing more. Okay?" She clarified. "This, then bed."

Shea consented and so Chelsea carried on. With gentle fingers she moved his loin cloth aside and took him in hand, the wide, solid girth pulsing in her grasp. Biting her lower lip, Chelsea avoided looking at his cock. It felt nice in her hand... but she couldn't have it. Nor was she supposed to want it again, either!

A soft grunt drew Chelsea to look at her task at hand. Shea's erection was thick and throbbing, sticking out from his pelvis and pulsing where the large, prominent vein ran up the underside of it. The sight itself wasn't the most appealing to the eye but watching as the tip leaked wetness spurred her own arousal to worsen.

Taking a calming breath, Chelsea focused on satisfying Shea. She squeezed and held her thighs together as she kneeled by him, trying to alleviate the hot, persistence pressure building there. Although enjoying himself just fine, Shea wanted more. He slipping his hand under Chelsea's shirt, again after the soft and pillowy mounds he'd been acquainted with before.

Nudging him away didn't work how she wanted it to. A tug to the hem, an attempt to grope and one more failed try at slipping under her shirt later, Shea was pleading with her.

"Let Shea see..."

"Fine."

She gave in to him and removed her shirt and bra, but not without warning him that would be all she took off. So, bare chested and in full view of Shea, Chelsea resumed servicing Shea's erection. It was no surprise when his hand found itself upon her bare breast. He touched and caressed how he had done before, paying her rising peaks close attention. Chelsea almost warned him not to pinch and regretted not doing so when he began rolling the sensitive, fleshy bead between his fingertips.

"Mm..."

Sighing softly to herself, Chelsea gyrated her thighs together for some friction as Shea continued exploring her chest with his low groans building. His legs and abdomen tightened, jaw going tense as he showed signs of oncoming climax.

Eager to be done with it and end her temptation, Chelsea quickened her pace on Shea. The man grunted and began shallowly moving his hips with her strokes. The thrusting left Chelsea with lips slightly parted, craving for such steady movement to be contained between the space of her dampening thighs.

It was both relief and disappointment when Shea's climax was reached.

The hot, sticky fluid coated Chelsea's right hand, raining down over her fingers. Letting go of his length slowly, Chelsea looked for something to clean up with while Shea sighed and panted satisfied. Noticing a small pile of various clothes piled up, Chelsea grabbed one and wiped her hand clean all too aware of the sticky sensation left along her palm and fingers.

Satisfied and grateful, Shea thanked Chelsea for the wonderful favor. He asked her if they were sleeping now. Problem was, Chelsea was no longer ready to sleep. An incredibly damp patch inside her panties was on the mind. She debated over taking care of it or not and decided that she didn't care if Shea watched or not. She would take care of her own needs.

Lying down next to him she unbuttoned the top of her shorts and reached her right hand inside before pausing. Realizing her right hand had traces of semen on it, she used her left instead. Except, Chelsea wasn't ambidextrous. She could not use her left hand the way she used her right. She quickly regretted having used her dominant hand to jack off a man who lived without running water.

Shea watched curiously as Chelsea's left hand had disappeared in to her pants, her expression frustrated as she touched her slippery clit that pleaded for relief. Saying nothing, Shea resumed his curious exploration of her chest. She touched the soft pouch of her lower stomach and traced the dips of her pelvis.

The soft touch drove Chelsea crazy. When Shea leaned his head in close to her chest, breath wafting past once rosy nipple, she whined. Shea looked alarmed and asked what was wrong. She insisted she was fine but after a few moments of her hips wiggling and jutting in vain against a hand she could not work with, Chelsea decided it was time to ask her companion for a helping hand so to speak...

Taking his hand in hers, Chelsea guided Shea's hand down her pants. She willingly joined the venture, exploring around. With light pressure, Chelsea pushed for him to find her clitoris. When his fingers touched it he was intrigued, feeling the fleshy bit. Wanting to see, he tried tugging her shorts off. Chelsea put up no fight as he worked her shorts and underwear off.

Completely naked except for the necklace around her neck, she laid before him on the bed of furs. She guided his hand back to where it had been, instructed him how she wanted to be touched. Shea kneeled between her legs and parted her labia to see what he was touching. His body loomed over her as he amateurly rubbed her clitoris. Regardless, she was beyond appreciative.

Soon Shea's fingers were joined by his thumb. He pinched and rolled the nub between her intimate lips, noticing how positively Chelsea responded. She squeezed her thighs around his hand, greedily gathering all the friction she could acquire. He tried reopening her legs to see but she grasped his forearm with both hands, mouth open and eyes sultry as she moaned freely.

His natural instinct drew him to such a sound...such a sight.

"Shea..." She moaned, gasping loudly as she swiveled her hips about against his hand. "A-Ah! Ah! Just like that! Don't stop."

"Chelsea like?"

"Mhm!"

"Shea no stop then."

Chelsea released Shea's arm and groped her own chest as he continued touching her with promise not to stop. She tweaked her own nipples, pulling and twisting them gently as wetness leaked from her like a fine threat of silk pulled from a spool.

Pelvis rocking and flesh swaying with her squirming, Chelsea cried out pleasurably as she felt heat lap at her core, pushing her peak closer. The beads of her necklace clicked softly with her movement, suddenly so light upon her body as Shea led her to the edge. It was sensual pleading and breathless, obedient response that led her to such climax. Shea obeyed her, obeyed her so well that even as she convulsed with her orgasm his touch continued.

The sensation quickly became too intense between her legs, her clit becoming hyper sensitive post orgasm. Chelsea urged Shea to stop and he did, he stopped and watched her in awe as she came down from her orgasm. A moment caught between their eyes and all was silent, the white noise of the jungle chirping and passing by with the breeze outside the hut walls.

Shea's amber eyes were so awe filled. So earnest. He hadn't yet learned how to lie. He touched Chelsea's hair, patting it how one would pat a treasure companion or precious belonging. His eyes then drifted to the necklace around her neck, the one that marked her as his.

"Chelsea very..." He began, trailing off as he thought for the right word. "...pretty. and Chelsea special."

"Special? Why am I special...?

Shea smiled. So easily.

"Chelsea mine." He answered. "Shea so happy. Shea happy forever."

It was sweet, incredibly so. So sweet that Chelsea didn't have the heart to even consider correcting him. Instead, she welcomed as Shea laid his body down next to her and held her protectively. Furs were pulled up over their bodies and Chelsea took a glance around her surroundings and briefly wondered if a hut in the middle of the jungle was something she could handle sneaking off to the rest of her life. It didn't seem so bad. Did it?


End file.
